Asa-thi lienakhar.

Most of us imagine our future as stable, and that what we have is sacrosanct. We are content, and comfortable, and it would be unjust for this to ever end by a hand not our own.

Alas, life is not so simple, for the world is ever changing. In ages past, adventurers were tightly restrained in practicing these absurd powers we have. Later came looser standards, and some powers grew very common far from their origin. Now, once again, stricter expectations are the norm. That can be frustrating, but it reflects a strengthened identity in the origin, and strong identities are worth preserving.

I know too well what it feels like when you find yourself in the midst of unexpected change.

When I was young, I was full of dreams and ambitions. I am blessed to have achieved most of them. What I wasn't prepared for is how fragile it all was and one by one, everything I proudly treasured crumbled. I beheld my world and it was in ruins, with only dust and memory remaining.

Did I rage against it? Did I throw things, set fires, make terrible declarations of vengeance? Have myself a weird little tantrum?

Obviously yes, let's be honest here. I am still Nezaya.

Yet, the Queen of Night teaches that Change is inevitable, and we are not helpless cargo swept along its river. This does not mean I can regain what I lost. It means that I have as many choices as there are stars above.

Though my fate is no longer tied to the place where I began, my ideals remain unchanged. The path ahead is frightening, but if I do not take it then I am choosing to dwell on what was. Instead, I choose what could be, and I choose to persist.

Be it a homeland, a house, a class, an ally status, or anything else, nothing is guaranteed. When loss comes, it is right to grieve. It mattered to you.

But do not let sorrow become your story. Do not become trapped in bitterness or old wounds no one else remembers. Embrace discovery and the freedom of an uncharted road.

The Moon declares that your fate is in your hands, if you have courage enough to walk forward, and discipline enough to stop clawing at the old wounds of wounded pride.

Though the way may be shrouded, Her Argent Lantern illuminates the path ahead, and it beckons. Success is not promised, but those not brave enough to change their future are doomed to the present they lament.

Nezaya Visindi
Shepherdess of the Stars
Witch

Penned by my hand on the 12th of Mayan, in the year 1004 AF.